


Wild Horses Couldn't Drag Me Away

by Piper2010



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angry Jensen, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Jared is Jared, My First Fanfic, Not Canon Compliant, Slow Burn, ackles twins dont exist in this one, awesome genevieve, be warned, mark sheppard is still on the show, misha is still amazing, neither does odette, set during the filming of a non-exhisting season, sloooooow burn people, slow start but big payoff, this one might be a long one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-08-03 20:44:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16333136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piper2010/pseuds/Piper2010
Summary: Joey has lost almost everything so when she is offered a job working on the set of a TV series she decides to take it. It turns out to be the set of Supernatural and some how she gets roped into filling in for an actress that doesn't show up. It's not to bad except Jensen is nothing like his cast mates. He is cold and angry after having his heart broken. Can Joey help bring the old Jensen back? Does he even exist anymore?





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to share a few songs that have helped inspire this piece! Enjoy!
> 
> Wild Horses- The Rolling Stones  
> Brother- NEEDTOBREATHE  
> Never Tear Us Apart- Sleeping at Last  
> I'm On Fire- AWOLNATION  
> Wicked Games- James Vincent McMorrow
> 
> Ill try to update every couple days or so until it's finished!

"Deep breath Joey, its just a job." She mutters to herself as she steps out of the golf cart.

Her eyes scan the area and take in her new home for the next few weeks. It's a quaint little vacation resort that was shut down a few years ago and now rented out for private functions. Cabin 19 sits directly in front of her. Small and rustic, with a narrow porch on the front, it looks inviting and cozy. It's a far cry from the half empty farmhouse she just left in New Hampshire.

Joey smiles one of those uncomfortable half smiles at the driver, not really sure what her name is, they didn't talk much during the short drive from the security gate, she smiles back and pulls away. With a duffel over her shoulder, Joey make her way towards Cabin 19. Thankfully, the security guard at the gate had supplied her with a key so there was no need to walk all around God's creation trying to find someone to let her in. 

The cabin looks even more adorable up close. The porch is small but just large enough for an old wooden rocking chair to sit in the corner. The whole picture makes Joey smile. She steps inside and puts the duffel down next to the boxes that sit just inside the door. They must have been delivered earlier in the day. She was glad now that she had shipped her belongings instead of trying to deal with multiple suitcases while flying across the country. She was exhausted as it was, trying to wait for luggage and then lug it through the airport would have just been miserable.

The interior of the cabin matches the outside, small but inviting and cozy. Its open concept keeps it from seeming dark or tight and the decor is eclectic without clutter. The big brown arm chair in the corner looks especially inviting, but Joey would have wait to find out. She pulls out the little piece of paper with a hand drawn map of the property that the security guard had given her. It doesn't look like the barn is far from her cabin, probably why they had put her in cabin 19. Joey unzips her duffel and pulls out a well-worn pair of stable boots.

 

It only takes about 5 minutes for Joey to find the barn. It's not fancy, just a good old-fashioned barn with big sliding double doors on the front and several dutch doors along each long side. To the right of the barn is a fenced in riding arena and to the left of the barn there are 4 grassy paddocks, each with a horse happily grazing inside. Joey steps inside the stable and takes a huge deep breath. The smell is like her personal reset button. She had spent most of her life in barns, riding since she was a small child, owning and showing horses through out her childhood, and then after college opening her own riding stable and fostering the passion in other kids. The horses were there when she met, fell in love, and married Logan. They were there when Logan became distant, when they fought, and when he left. They were there when Joey fell apart. Last month she had shut the stable down, unable to pay for the operating costs after the divorce, but she still managed to keep the farm and two of her personal horses. That had been the hardest part about taking this job, leaving Piper and Ollie back in New Hampshire. Joey knew that were being well cared for and it was only temporary but it was still hard. But this job would help her to keep the farm and her horses.

"Hey! You must be Joey!" An older man's voice breaks through Joey's thoughts.

"Ah, yeah, I am. Hi. Sorry, I just wanted to check the stable out."

"Nice to meet you! I'm Jake, the barn manager." Jake smiles and extends a weathered hand to Joey and she shakes it. His handshake is firm and warm and his smile is genuine. She immediately likes him.

They spend the next couple hours touring the small barn, meeting the horses, and getting to know the way the farm runs. Joey isn't responsible for the daily chores needed to run the program but she likes knowing what the horses are used to and how they are cared for. She is thoroughly impressed with Jake and his knowledge of his charges. He knows their personalities and treats them with gentle respect. Its easy to like Jake and Joey can tell the horses feel the same way.

Its after dark by the time Joey heads back to Cabin 19 and the walk back is quiet and relaxing. About halfway between the stable and Cabin 19 Joey notices there is another cabin. She hadn't noticed it in the day light, probably because it is tucked back a bit in the woods but now that its dark out, the windows are lit up and the front porch light is on. The cabin is #19's big brother, same exact building but about 3 times larger. Trees and shrubs surround it and give it a level of privacy.  Joey finds herself wondering who is inside but doesn't dwell to long on it. She strolls past and her thoughts quickly switch to the comfy arm chair in #19.

 

The next morning Joey is up early. She has a meeting scheduled with the people who hired her and maybe she would get a better idea about what her job description really was. She knew this was a film set and she knew she was in charge of the horses, their training, and managing their schedules, but what she didn't know was what was being filmed. TV, movie, TV movie, Joey had no clue. Not that she really had tried to find out. It didn't matter much to her, it was a temporary job that she had fallen into based on a friend of a friend's recommendation. She was worrying about making ends meet when she had gotten the call. The original person hired to do the job had to pull out last minute and they were desperate for someone quickly. It didn't take much convincing, just some ironing out of details and she was flying from New Hampshire to Wyoming 2 days later.

Joey steps out of her front door preparing to make the walk to the main set area in the center of the resort but she is surprised to see the same driver and golf cart sitting out front from yesterday.

"Morning! Eric thought you might appreciate a ride." The woman explains.

"Wow, that's actually a big help. I wasn't really sure where I was going. I'm really sorry, I was pretty stuck in my own head yesterday, what's your name again?"

"Laurie. No worries though. I know its really intimidating walking into such a close knit cast and crew. I remember my first day. I felt like the new kid in high school." Laurie laughs as she speaks.

"Thanks for understanding, but honestly I have no idea who the cast and crew are. I never asked when I took the job." Joey wrinkles her brow as she confesses her ignorance.

"Well then let me be the first one to welcome you to the set of Supernatural. Have you heard of it?"

"Yeah, actually I have! I don't really watch much TV but I have definitely been a fan of the show over the years! I don't know much about the cast though. I do remember hearing that it's a pretty tight group."

"You could say that." Laurie smiles "It's the longest running science fiction series of all time, so many of them have really grown up together so to speak. They are all very down to earth and easy to work with. I've been here for 6 years now and they have never been anything but accepting and kind even though I'm just a glorified assistant to an assistant." She grins with sparkling eyes. Joey can tell that Laurie truly likes her job. It makes her feel a little less nervous about working with people who had been in the business for so long.

"Here we are." Laurie parks the golf cart in front of what must have been the main house back when the resort was is business. Joey laughs.

"Ever see the movie Dirty Dancing?" she asks Laurie.

"Of course, it's a classic!"

"This place reminds me of Kellerman's, but the mid-west version."

Laurie cocks her head and smiles again. "You're right! I can totally see that! Well if anyone asks you to carry a watermelon then you know you're in for some fun!"

The two women laugh and Joey hops out of the golf cart.

"Just head inside and someone will be there to point you in the right direction."

"Thanks Laurie! Come find me at the stable if you ever want to grab lunch."

"Sounds like a plan. Laurie gives a wave as she drives off towards the main gate.

Now that she's alone again Joey's stomach does a flip flop. This wasn't some unknown little film project, this was an establish long running series. A well-oiled machine that wasn't going to put up with mistakes or someone who doesn't have a clue how this whole Hollywood thing works. She walks towards the front door slowly while chewing her bottom lip. Too late to run scared now.

Ten minutes later Joey is sitting at a large round table with Erik, David, Jeremy, and Yvonne. Erik, who seems to be in charge of scheduling, is going over what days Joey will need to be onset and Yvonne is handing her a list of what horses would be needed each day and what would be expected. Surprisingly, it doesn't seem as difficult or complicated as she had been worried about.

"So, have any questions?" Erik asks while closing the leather notebook in front of him.

"I don't think so. It seems pretty straight forward."

"Ok great, so let's plan on meeting again on Tuesday."  Continues Erik "That gives us a few days for you to get to know the horses and gives our writers a chance to make any changes once we go over the plan with the cast this afternoon."

Someone knocks on the door.

"I bet that's one of the guys now." Erik stands up as the door opens. Joey stands up too, assuming this is her cue to leave. She turns and watches as a familiar face enters the room. He is handsome and has a genuine smile that reaches his eyes. He is carrying a big basket full of what looks like cookies and jars of different food items.

Erik walks towards him. "Misha, how was your break?"

Misha and Erik greet each other and Misha sets the basket on the table. "It was great! Vicki put this together for you guys. She did a bunch of canning this year. Yvonne, there is a jar of hot relish in there just for you, she knows you like the spicy stuff." He rambles. Joey gets the feeling that he is well liked by everyone. How could he not be, he is energetic and charismatic. Hell, Joey already likes him and she just laid eyes on him.

"Thanks Mish, let Vicki know she is a peach." Yvonne beams as she pulls a couple jars from the basket.

Erik gestures towards Joey."This is Joanna Porter, she will be working on set for a few weeks."

"Nice to meet you Joanna." Misha reaches out his hand

"Please, call me Joey and its nice to meet you too." She responds as she takes his hand. "I look forward to getting to work with you."

Turning to the rest of the group Joey smiles, thanks them for their time, and excuses herself.

 

By the time Joey is outside the once quiet main area is bustling with people and activity. She stands outside the front door for a minute and takes in the sight. There is a box truck backing down the little dirt road to the right of the main building and several other trucks parked around the resort. People are moving equipment and set pieces, golf carts zooming back and forth, and people working at various jobs. Joey is amazed at how quickly it all came to life while she was in the meeting. Josh had mentioned that, like Misha, most of the cast would be arriving today and that shooting would begin next week.  As she walks back to her cabin Joey tries to remember if she has seen any of the last season of the show and she comes to the conclusion that she hadn't. Running the farm alone and working another side job didn't really leave much time to keep up with television. That and the fact that she had cancelled cable to help keep the bills down. Joey pulls out her phone and googles 'current cast of Supernatural' so she would possibly not look like a complete idiot when she comes across different cast members. Several of the actors are familiar from what she had seen of the show previously. Misha Collins of course she had just met, and Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are still the show's stars. There are some faces she doesn't recognize and many that she does. Jim Beaver, Mark Sheppard, Mark Pelligrino all seem familiar. She makes a mental note to catch up on the show while she is here and has access to cable. Joey shoves her phone back in her pocket and heads in to the cabin. It only takes a few minutes to change into work clothes and head back out to the stable. She figures it's as good a time as any to start prepping the horses.

 

Several hours later Joey, dirty, sweaty, and with hay in her hair, is finally leaving the barn. The sun is slowly setting and the orange and pink sky make the resort look like a postcard. Sighing with contentment Joey says a silent thank you for the fact that the setting sun was cooling down the hot July air. Air conditioning, a cold shower, and the arm chair were calling her name. Then a deep voice cuts through the dusk.

"Oh come on Jay Bird wait for me! Slow down!"

At the same moment, an adorable blonde little girl came barreling toward the open barn doors. She stops dead when she sees Joey and looks at her shyly.

"Uh hi! You come to see the horses?" Joey kneels down and asks her. "I'm Joey, I take care of the them. What's your name?"

Just as the little girl starts to answer a man jogs up to them. Joey raises her eyes and immediately recognizes Jensen. He furrows his brow and gives Joey a tight lipped half smile and then returns his gaze to the little girl.

"Looks like you found the horses! You gotta stop tearing off like that J.J. You're gonna give me a heart attack." Putting his hand on the top of J.J.'s head he turns to Joey and extends his hand. "Sorry about that. I'm Jensen, this is J.J."

Joey shakes his hand, surprised at how it dwarfs her own. "Nice to meet you, I'm Joey the new horse trainer and manager. Does J.J. want to pet some of them? They are all pretty gentle and..."

A squeal cuts off the rest of the sentence and J.J. starts jumping up and down.

" Joey lets out a laugh. "A fellow horse crazy girl I see! We have a lot in common little one!"

Jensen groans. "You have no idea. All she does is play with her toy horses and beg to ride."

"Well you're in luck, I just happen to have one super power and it involves teaching kids to ride horses! C'mon I'll introduce you."

Joey holds out her hand and this time the hand that takes it is tiny and soft.

 

Over the next half hour J.J. bounces from stall to stall and it takes everything Joey has to keep up with her. At first Jensen is nervous and stays glued to his daughter but after a few minutes he seems to decide Joey in't going to let anything happen to J.J. and is more than qualified to supervise the little girls horse induced euphoria. Joey answers all the questions that J.J. asks and patiently teaches her how to feed the horses treats and pet their faces. It isn't long before Jensen clears his throat and speaks up.

"Hey Jay Bird we need to get you to bed. I'm pretty sure the horses will be here tomorrow morning, in fact they will be here for your whole vacation. Right Joanie?"

"Yup sure will, and it's Joey."

"Sorry 'bout that." Jensen replies without even looking up from his daughter. "Let's head back munchkin."

J.J. begins to whine and tears threaten to fall. She grabs Joey's hand tightly. Joey kneels down and smiles at her. This is where she feels most herself, in the barn with a child who loves being here as much as she always has. She tucks a stray piece of hair behind the child's ear.

"No tears little one. You can come back tomorrow if you want to. The horses have to sleep too though. We wouldn't want to keep them up too late or they might be too tired to ride tomorrow right?" J.J. chews her lip and nods. "If your dad says it's ok then maybe I can teach you how to ride while I'm here."

Both girls raise their eyes to Jensen's. J.J. with a look of pure longing and Joey with apology, hoping she hadn't over stepped her bounds. Jensen's arms are crossed but Joey can tell he is going to give in, J.J. can too. She lets go of Joey's hand and runs to her dad, throwing her arms around his knees.

"Thank you Daddy!" Her little voice is ecstatic.

With his hand on her shoulder Jensen looks up from J.J. and turns his gaze to Joey. "I have to work tomorrow but I can have Gen bring her by. What time?"

"How about after lunch?"

"Ok Ill let her know. Thanks for doing this, I'm pretty sure this is Christmas in July for J.J." With that Jensen ushers his daughter out of the barn. Joey follows them out of the barn, turning the lights off as she goes. She smiles at both of them, expecting to part ways, but they each start to walk in the same direction. Jensen is silent, Joey decides he isn't the most social person or the most friendly. Not that it really matters to her. She is used to silence and comfortable with it. J.J. on the other hand babbles the whole walk. Joey is surprised when Jensen stops at the large cabin right before #19. It seems a little out of the way for one of the shows stars.

"You ok to walk to your place alone?" He asks

"I'm good, I'm only the next cabin down but thanks. You two have a good night. See you tomorrow J.J." With a wave Joey continues on her way. A little voice calls a "g'night." Out to her and Joey smiles over her shoulder.

 

Its only another minute before Joey reaches her cabin. While she prepares to jump in the shower she analyzes the evening. J.J. was lively and adorable, Jensen on the other hand had seemed cold and gruff. She had expected him to be more like Misha. She shugs her shoulders, gets into the shower and washes all of the day's grime away.

It's not long before she settles into her bed getting comfortable for the night and flips on the television. Joey pulls up Netflix and finds Supernatural.

"Let the research begin." She mumbles.

2 episodes is about all she manages before her eyes are too heavy to keep open any longer she slips into a deep sleep.

 

Morning light comes quickly but Joey wakes up extra early to get in a run before having to be at work. She had skipped her runs the last two days and today she is determined to get back on track. Running was never an activity that Joey enjoyed until the divorce. Somehow it had turned into her therapy. Maybe it was the feeling of control it gave her, or the fact that it released waves of endorphins, but more then likely it was the fact that it hurt. Well it didn't hurt now but when she had first started it had made her lungs burn and her muscles cramp. It had made the ache in her heart seem less painful when everything else was screaming. Now it was just a release of stress and anxiety.

After a quick stretch Joey pops her earbuds in and sets off running through the resort. The sun is barely above the horizon and there isn't much activity going on yet. She is well into the run when she rounds a corner and sees a large male running ahead of her just down the street. Maybe large isn't the right description she thinks to herself. Towering? That probably fits better. He is jogging considerably slower so it isn't long before Joey catches up to him. He looks to his left as she passes and Joey realizes it's Jared. He and gives a friendly smile and a wave, head tossing his damp hair out of his eyes. His smile reminds her of little boy, full of kindness and mischief. Joey notices he is also wearing ear buds so she smiles and nods back and keeps running.

She chuckles to herself. No wonder this show is so damn popular. She has now seen all three of the main actors and each one is drop dead gorgeous and with the exception of Jensen they have each been friendly and not intimidating at all. Their wives are lucky ladies. She would be lying to herself if she didn't admit that she is extremely eager to meet the woman Jensen had said would be bringing J.J. to the barn today. She assumes Gen is Jensen's wife and is more than likely as beautiful as her husband, but would she be as grouchy? She sure hoped not.

Joey finishes her run and heads back into #19 for a shower. Within 20 minutes she is back outside and heading to the barn. The morning flies by and before she knows it, it's lunch time. It's not long before she hears voices heading toward the barn. Joey is shocked to hear not only a woman and J.J.'s voices but those of two small boys as well. Within moments the blonde little girl is bounds into the barn and straight to Joey. Two mop top little boys follow closely behind J.J. and only a few steps behind them enters an absolutely stunning brunette.

"Hello! I'm Gen and these two little monsters are Shep and Tom. I'm guessing by the way J.J. is clinging to you that you must be Joey." Gen smiles brightly and exudes a magnetic warmth. "J.J. hasn't stopped talking about learning to ride all morning."

"Hey nice to meet you! I'm so glad she is excited!" Joey replies. She is not surprised to see that Gen is one of the most beautiful women she has ever laid eyes on but she is surprised that Gen is so charming. Not what she expected as Jensen's wife.

"Do you mind if the boys and I watch J.J.? I know Jensen is hoping to make it but the guys have an unbelievable number of meetings today so who knows if he will be able to steal away." Gen chatters as she wrangles the two boys for getting into trouble.

"Of course! I'm sure that J.J. will love that!" Joey replies and she begins pulling out the gear needed for J.J.'s ride.

 

15 minutes later J.J. is astride the safest of the horses while Joey leads her around the ring. Gen watches with a smile while the boys dig in a near by pile of dirt. Out of the corner of her eye Joey sees Jensen stride up next to Gen and throw an arm around her for a quick hug before setting both arms on the fence. His face looks stern and hard until J.J. notices he has arrived and waves frantically at him. Jensen's entire face changes and softens at the sight of his overjoyed daughter. Both he and Gen watch the lesson until the end and wait outside of the barn for J.J. to put her horse away. Once finished she runs outside into Jensen's arms and he lifts her high into the air.

"Great job Jay Bird. Did you have fun?"

"Uh huh daddy! I loved it! I can have a pony now right?"

Jensen laughs. "Yeah we will see about that one kiddo."

Joey walks out of the barn as Jensen is setting J.J. back down. J.J. runs over to the boys and starts to play.

"Alright, I'm gonna head back to work. Thanks again Gen for bringing her today. Ill make sure Jared gets home at a decent time." Jenson winks at Gen and then turns to Joey. "And thanks for making J.J.'s year. What do I owe you?"

"Don't mention it! You don't owe me anything, it was my pleasure. Please feel free to bring her by anytime and Ill try to let her ride when she comes."

"Sounds good, thanks. Ill try to do that. Not sure either of us will have much spare time once filming starts in a few days. Hey Jay Bird, I'm headed back to work. You have fun with the boys and Auntie Gen ok?"

Joey marvels as how different Jensen's voice sounds when he talks to J.J. compared to when he speaks to anyone else. That little girl is the soft spot in an otherwise stony personality. Wait, did he just say Auntie Gen? Joey's brow furrows. So this isn't his wife. The light bulb finally goes off and Joey realizes that this must be Jared's wife. Before she can get to involved in wondering what the dynamic actually was, Jensen give a slight nod of his head and strides off towards the main house.

Gen grins at Joey. "It's nice to have another girl around here. I didn't think I'd have anyone to hang out with this summer."

Joey's eyes brighten at the comment. "I'd love that! I don't really know anyone here except Laurie and she seems really busy all the time."

"Let's have lunch Monday. Wait not Monday! How about Tuesday?"

"Sounds perfect as long as you don't mind a late lunch? I have a morning meeting and then I won't be finished here until noon." Joey gestures toward the barn. "How does 1:30 work?"

"Perfect! Come on over to my cabin. It's #6. I'm kind of loving this resort set up! Normally we are all spread out in apartments or hotels but this feels like summer camp or something." Gen smirks and looks as if she is fondly recalling childhood memories. "OK kiddos, time to head back and get ready to go swimming."

Gen give Joey a wave goodbye as the kids jump up cheering and head down the dirt path. Gen follows right behind.

Joey shakes her head once the barn yard is quiet. She can't quite believe how much her life has changed over the last month. She cleans up inside the barn quickly and heads back to her cabin.

 

Finally home and settled into her beloved arm chair, Joey pulls up her email on her phone and reviews the filming schedule set for next week and what she needs to have prepared. As long as nothing changes in the meeting on Tuesday then it looks like she only needed to be on set for one day next week.

"That's going to make for an interesting week." Joey mutters. Its been a long time since she had spare time on her hands. She wasn't sure she knew what to do with it anymore but she has to admit that it will be nice having some down time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fingers crossed, I will have another chapter updated in a day or so! Please feel free to leave comments! I'd love any feedback!

Before Joey knows it, it’s Tuesday morning. The last couple days had flown by. Joey had found herself falling into a comfortable schedule of wake up, go running, then head to work. Gen had brought J.J. to the farm each day and the women spent an hour or so chatting while the kids played around the barnyard. They become fast friends, and Joey enjoys having someone to talk too and is excited for their upcoming lunch plans this afternoon. She is a little disappointed to be skipping her run. Two days ago, she had run into Jared and they had stopped to chat. Yesterday they had ended up running together and Joey could see how he and Gen had been drawn to each other. They were both effortlessly welcoming and kind. Jared unlike Gen though, was always cracking jokes, it had made for an interesting run. Not today though, today she needs to get out the door and to her meeting with Erik.

She dresses quickly and pulls her hair into a ponytail before walking out the front door and into the warm July morning air. Laurie had texted her last night to see if Joey wanted a lift to the main house this morning, but Joey had politely declined, preferring instead to stroll through the resort and take in the scenery. She reaches the main house after a short walk and heads up the front steps to find Erik. It only takes a moment for Yvonne to see her and briskly walk over.

“Shoot, Joey, I’m so sorry! I completely forgot to call you this morning. Erik is dealing with a crisis and he isn’t going to be able to go over things with you today. He asked me to let you know that he will email you any changes he has.”

“Oh, ok, no worries. I hope everything is alright.” Joey says concerned.

“Yeah, it will work out, it always does. Erik with make sure of it.” Yvonne laughs.

Joey smiles and turns to head back out the door just as Erik rounds the corner and sees Joey. At first, he nods and gives her a one-sided courtesy smile but then his brow furrows and he looks Joey up and down. He calls out to Joey, stopping her from walking out the door.

“Hold up Joey, don’t leave yet. Listen, I’m really sorry I had to cancel last minute, we have a sort of an issue with our filming this morning that I’ve been dealing with.”

“It’s totally fine, I understand completely!” Joey assures, “I hope it works out.”

“Actually, I think I just found my solution. Listen this is going to sound crazy but hear me out ok? We had an actress cancel on us this morning, family emergency. Normally we would just postpone the shoot until we can get a replacement, but Jared is due to fly out Friday morning for an appearance at his charity event and we only have Mark for this week before he is gone for a month. We have got to shoot this scene before the end of the week. It’s a small part, not a ton of lines, but I just need some one that fits the wardrobe. You’re about 5’5 right? Size 4?”

Joey looks at Erik with confusion. “5’4 why? What are you trying to say?”

“Fill in! Please, it will be a piece of cake, it’s just for 3 days. You can memorize the scene while you are in hair and makeup. I’m begging here.” Erik really does look desperate and his puppy dog eyes make it impossible for Joey to just say no outright but this seems like a really bad idea.

“I would love to help, I really would, but let’s be honest I am not the right choice here. I’m not an actress, I know nothing about being on a set. I’m sure some one any one really would be a better option.”

“You don’t have to know how to act, I promise. Just know your lines and let the boys do the rest. It’s an easy part to play.”

Yvonne reaches out and lays a hand on Joey’s shoulder. “It will be a cinch and we really are desperate.”

Joey sighs, and finally agrees.

“Oh thank god. C’mon, we need to get you over to the location so we can get you started. Here, start reading through this.” Erik pulls a handful of papers out of the folder in his hand and offers them to Joey.

She looks them over and realizes that it’s the script for the day’s shoot. Butterflies begin holding a midnight rave in her stomach. What the hell had she gotten herself into. Joey is shaking slightly as she follows Erik into the waiting SUV out front. She studies the script, noting all the directions about facial expressions, movements, actions.

“Yeah,real friggin’ easy.” Joey mutters under her breath.

The drive ends too soon for her liking. Erik hops out and she follows. Joey realizes she hadn’t looked out the window the entire drive. If she had then she would have been better prepared for the jaw dropping scenery in front of her. An expansive meadow split in half by a slowly meandering river sits in front of her. Behind it, a towering mountain range with snow caps reaching to the sky.

“Pretty cool huh? It was one of the reasons we decided to shoot at this resort instead of in Vancouver for most of this season. We will still have to do some stuff in Vancouver but this backdrop is surreal.” Erik talks about the show like a proud parent, it makes Joey even more nervous. She really doesn’t want to be responsible for screwing up something that means so much to so many people.

She is shaking slightly as she follows him towards the two modular buildings that have been brought in for filming. Entering the closest one, Joey’s eyes take a moment to adjust to the dim lighting after being in exposed to the sunny brilliance from outside. The room is filled with people, extra equipment, and standing in the far corner Joey sees “the boys”. Jared, Jensen, and Misha are talking with a couple crew members with clip boards and head sets. Misha and Jared look relaxed with smiles on their faces but Jensen is wearing the same tight jawed expression that Joey is becoming used to seeing on him.

“Let’s get you introduced to everyone.” Erik says over his shoulder as he walks towards the men.

All three of them look up at Erik and then their eyes slide past him to Joey.

“Hey Flash Gordon!” Jared jokes when he realizes who she is.

Joey fidgets to hide the fact that she is shaking like a chihuahua. “Hey Jared.”

“Guys, meet our savior.” Erik gestures towards you. “This is Joanna Porter, she is going to do us a huge favor and fill in for the actress who couldn’t make it this morning.”

“Please, call me Joey.”

“Nice to see you again Joey. Thanks for coming to our rescue.” Misha holds out his hand. Joey takes his offered handshake and gives a nervous smile.

“Just promise to go easy on me ok? I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“Scouts honor.” Jared quips while holding up his first three fingers in a boy scout salute.

Joey’s gaze travels to Jensen and she is pretty sure she sees him roll his eyes but before she can be sure another man walks up behind her and Erik.

“Hey Mark, meet Joanna….er…sorry Joey Porter. She will be working with you guys today.” Joey, appreciative that Erik remembers to call her by her preferred name, turns around to greet Mark.

“ ‘Ello, lovely to meet you. I’m Mark.” His voice is deep and smooth but it’s the accent that really makes Joey melt. She had always loved an accent. They shake hands and everyone turns their attention to Erik who has begun going over the schedule.

 

Less than half an hour later Joey and the other cast members have finished a quick run through. Joey is taken to wardrobe and then hair and make-up. With a pit in her stomach she continues to go over the script while getting fussed over. Misha slides into the chair next to her, setting his coffee down on the table in front of him.

“You look like you might throw up at any moment. Are we really that scary?” He jokes. “Seriously though, just have fun with it. Make the character your own and just enjoy it.”

“Thanks. You make it sound easy, let’s hope I don’t make more work for everyone by screwing up.” Joey laments.

“Well you can’t be any worse then Jared and Jensen when they used to pull practical jokes all the time or act like idiots during everyone’s serious scenes.”

Joey looks at him with questioning eyes. “Used too?”

Misha shifts in his seat. “Yeah well Jensen isn’t quite into it any more and I guess Jared figures it’s no fun alone.” He laughs recalling some of the past antics. “I do kind of miss it though. Those two could really cause some havoc.”

Misha spends the next few minutes regaling Joey with stories of Jared and Jensen’s past pranks. By the time her hair and make-up have been finished she is wiping tears from the corners of her eyes from laughing and feeling much less nervous then before Misha sat down.

“So, if I can do my job through all of that then you are good to go.” He pats her on the back reassuringly, grabs his coffee and heads off onto set. Joey smiles to her self and shakes her head. She didn’t know many people who would have taken time to comfort and calm down a stranger. He’s a good guy; someone she could easily become friends with. Suddenly, a P.A. breaks her train of thought when he pokes his head into the room letting Joey know she needed to head to wardrobe and then get on set.

 

Only a few short minutes later and Joey is back outside and being shuttled by golf cart once again. This time their destination is a camp site over looking the river. It would be the perfect place for a camping trip if not for the numerous cameras, lighting and sound equipment, and couple dozen crew members buzzing around. She lingers awkwardly next to the golf cart, feeling slightly less terrified then a trapped rat. Standing by herself waiting for the rest of the cast, she still isn’t sure this isn’t some cosmic joke. She knows her lines, she knows her marks, what she doesn’t know is how to friggin’ act!

“Okay, I just need to calm down and get it together. It’s just talking, that’s all this is, talking to other people, while making sure to hit my marks, and having 15 cast members watching and judging and shoving cameras in my face. Jesus this has to be the worst mental pep-talk ever.” Joey thinks to herself.

Before she can spend another second thinking about what she has gotten herself into, Misha, Jared, Jensen, and Mark stroll onto set. Joey marvels at how a little wardrobe and a hair style has transformed these men into their characters. Oddly enough, seeing them as “The boys”, Cas, and Crowley take away the nerves. She has more of a relationship with these characters then with the actors, she feels more at ease with them. She knows Sammy is smart and sweet and a little shy. Dean is a protector, crude, but intensely loyal. Castiel, an angel who is a cross between Chuck Norris and a corgi puppy. Then there is Crowley, the sassy king of hell with a talent for keeping the Winchesters on their toes. She can work with this, she can become part of this world.

Someone calls for everyone to take their places.

“Here goes nothing.” Joey utters under her breath.

Jared puts a hand on her shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “You ready?”

“Not even a little. Like not even a fraction of a percent.” She replies with a wrinkled brow.

Jared chuckles. “It won’t be that bad. You’re going to do great.”

Before Joey can thank him, the slate is clapped, and action called.

Jared and Jensen slip effortlessly into character while Misha and Mark stand off to the side with Joey until it’s their turn to enter the scene. Joey watches the two men work.

“Dean, over here, I think I found something.” Jared crouches down by a back pack on the ground and pulls out a wallet. He finds an I.D. and holds it out to Jensen.

“Sasha Ryan, it’s definitely who we’re looking for. Girl is hardcore, out here all alone.” Jensen’s gravelly Dean voice makes Joey’s heart pound. It’s almost her que. She stands a little straighter and prepares to walk towards the campfire.

Jared stands up and cocks his head while turning to Jensen. “Yeah well, when the alternative means a demon finding you, camping alone in the wildernessdoesn’t seem so bad.”

“So, where the hell is she?”

A camera follows Joey as she walks into the campsite.

“Who the hell is asking?” She silently prays no one gets angry about the addition of the sass and the unscripted “hell”.

Both men whip their heads toward her, acting surprised at her ability to sneak up on them.

The rest of the scene goes well. Joey plays off the two men comfortably, and once Mark and Misha enter there is an added ease to the interaction. Joey already loves her character. She’s brassy but alluring. The writers have made her a formidable match for the sarcasm of Dean but still likeable. They run through the first take with out much complication and do a couple more takes before they break for lunch.

“Joey, got a second?” Erik calls across the set, heading her way.

“Um, yeah, of course.” She responds, but internally it’s more on the lines of; “Great, this is the part where they tell me they made a mistake.”

Erik saunters to Joey. “So, I’m curious about your choice of how you’re playing Sasha.”

“I, um, I guess I just figured that by being out there on her own it shows she is independent and a fighter. She is stubborn and tough. She wouldn’t take orders from anyone, let alone two random guys who show up trying to turn her into a damsel in distress. She doesn’t need a knight in shining armor, she’s more of a “here, hold my beer” kind of girl. I’m sorry, I can do it again any way you want….or….. I can just go if you want. I didn’t mean to mess the scene up.”

“No, no that’s not what I meant. I’m just impressed. Actually, we all are. You made Sasha more then what we even saw her as.” Erik explains and grins. “Keep it up, feel free to put the attitude into the rest of the scenes.”

Joey lets out the breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding. “Oh, thank God. I thought you were going to tell me to get off your set and that you had made a terrible mistake.”

He pats her on the arm and laughs. “Go grab some lunch and relax. I’ll see you back here in an hour.”

As Erik walks away Joe rubs her forehead and takes another deep breath. The relief only lasts a second though, her eyes widen realizing she had forgotten to let Gen know she wouldn’t make it to lunch today.

“Shit.” Joey curses quietly as she heads off to find a P.A. to drive her back to the trailer where she had left her phone.


	3. Chapter 3

 

 

A couple minutes later Joey jogs ups the steps of the trailer hoping she can get a hold of Gen before she has put too much effort into lunch. Swinging open the door and rushing through, she barrels face first into a brick wall covered in leather. She stumbles back a step and her eyes focus on what she has just slammed into, or rather who. Jensen is looking down at her with a look of surprise and then annoyance.

“God, your chest is friggin’ hard.” Joey scrunches her nose and uses her thumb and index finger to test for structural damage. Satisfied that it’s not broken she returns her focus to Jensen. “I’m really sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. You okay?”

“I’m sure the internal bleeding will subside.” Jensen retorts, the sarcasm saturating his words. Turning sideways, her slides past Joey and out the door.

“Yeah, I’m fine too, thanks for asking!” She called out to him as the door swung shut.

“You tell him Joe!” Joey’s head snaps toward the familiar voice.

“Gen? What are you doing here? I was just coming to grab my phone so I could give you a call!”

“When Jared saw you on set he called me. He thought I might like to bring our lunch date to you.” Gen holds up a bag of take out with a big smile on her face.The two women spend the next 45 minutes devouring the take out and chatting about the events of the morning.

“Thanks for doing this Gen. Jared might just be on my favorite person list for calling you!” Joey jokes.

“Yeah, he’s a keeper.” Gen lifts one side of her mouth into a cheeky grin. Joey looks at her phone, checking the time.

“Guess I better head back. You have any last minute advice?”

“Give them what they want, follow the directions they give you. Then once you know they have what they need do it again. But this time give it more, take it one step further.” Gen winks. “Now come on, we better get to set.”

“Wait? What? Are you coming too?” Joey asks as her face brightens.

“I never get to watch Jared anymore and I have a feeling you could use the moral support.”

“Has any one told you lately that you might be an angel?” Joeys gives Gen a mischievous smile that reaches her eyes and both women laugh at the irony.

They both stand up and head out the door and into a waiting golf cart. Just before the cart starts to drive off Jared hops in next to Gen.

“You know, I’m feeling a little neglected here.” He pretends to pout and looks at Gen with liquid eyes. Gen punches him playfully in the arm and laughs.

“Shut up you big dork. You’re just mad that I didn’t bring you any take out.” He shrugs, and she snuggles into him. Joey shakes her head and silently marvels how much in love they are. She remembers that feeling, misses it. Internally she scolds herself. This is not the time to get emotional about crap she can’t change.

By the time they reach the set Joey is composed and ready to work. This time they are shooting in a rundown cabin surrounded by trees. It’s only a couple minutes before everyone is back and ready to shoot and action is called. After a few good takes, while they are resetting for another, Joey walks over to Erik who is standing over a table and shuffling through several papers.

“Hey Erik, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, yeah, what’s up?” Erik responds without looking up from his work.

“How flexible can I be with the script? I mean…I know we got some great takes and I’d like to…..is there like a line I can’t cross or….God, I don’t know what I’m asking.” Joey fumbles with her words.

Erik picks his head up and looks at her with a twinkle in his eyes. “You want to play with it? Try it a little off script?”

Joey nods. “I think she would push back against the boys more, I think she would get in their face y’know? Especially Dean.”

He stares at her with probing eyes. “Okay. Go for it, and if it works then we take it from there.” He turns back to the papers and Joey heads back to her mark to go through the scene again. She glances at a smiling Gen who seems to know exactly what she was discussing with Erik. It makes her giggle and roll her eyes.

“Action!”

Dean and Sam are talking back and forth while Sasha cleans up in the bathroom. She walks out to Sam explaining to Dean that he thinks the demon chasing Sasha isn’t actually a demon.

“Think about it Dean, Crowley says he would know if it was a demon. Cas would know. Something is off here. Something wants us to think it’s a demon, but why?”

“Who cares Sammy, we just gotta kill it, whatever it is. Could be a damn mermaid for all I care.” Jensen’s Dean voice drips with nonchalance. Joey at this point, is supposed to curl up in a chair and let the boys put together a plan. Only interjecting minimal lines here and there. She mentally crosses her fingers that this doesn’t piss the guys off and takes the plunge. She walks over to the table that Jensen is sitting at and puts both hands on the table in front of him leaning in towards him.

“Really Dean? You are just such a bad ass huh? Kill first, ask questions later? Wouldn’t want to stop and figure this out or anything.” She hisses. To his credit, Jensen doesn’t miss a beat. His eyes flash with confusion momentarily but it doesn’t show in his body language. He doesn’t even waiver.

“Listen sweetheart….” But before he can finish his sentence Joey leans down close to Jensen’s ear and whispers with venom in her voice.

“The name is Sasha. I am not your sweetheart.” She slowly stands up turning away from Jensen and walks over to the kitchen counter, talking as she walks. “You may not care what the hell is after me, but I do, and I want to know why. I lost my family, I lost people I love. I need to know.” Jensen glares at her, face hard and jaw clenched, raising the left side of his upper lip into a snarl. Damn, Joey thinks, he is good. She shivers a little under his scrutiny. She glances at Jared who is off camera smiling like a golden retriever with a new toy. Joey has to bite her lip to keep from smiling back at him.

“Now you listen to me, I didn’t drive half way across the country to have my ass chewed out by some chick with chip on her shoulder…”

“Dean, she’s right.” Jared interrupts. His face now all business. “We can’t go kill it if we don’t know what it is.”

“Dammit Sammy, now you’re taking her side? So much for brotherly love.”

“Cut” is yelled from somewhere off camera. Joey’s stomach flips. The scene wasn’t over yet, why did they cut? She looks nervously over to Gen and isn’t quite sure she likes what she sees on her face. Shock. No smile, just shock. Joey’s eyes widen.

“Shit.” She mutters. Her eyes scan over Jared and Jensen. Jared is back to smiling again, ok that’s not to bad, but Jensen. He is definitely not smiling. He stands up, making the chair grind against the old wooden floor boards, and rubs the back of his neck with his hand. He looks at Joey and opens his mouth like he wants to say something, snaps it shut and walks past her and out the door. Leaving her standing there stunned. Dazed, she doesn’t notice Erik walking up to her flanked by two other people. His voice jolts her out of her stupor.

“Holy shit Joey, that was unbelievable.” Her heart catches in her chest.

“Wait, you’re not mad? But you called cut.”

“Oh, I am mad, just not at you. I’m mad that this character wasn’t written like this originally”, He raises his eyebrows and looks at the two people next to him who are clearly writers, “and I’m mad that we are just finding you now. I cut because we need to rethink where this is going. I need to chat with the guys, but first I need to chat with you. Give me 10 minutes to bring these two up to speed and I’ll meet you in the trailer.” He finishes, nodding towards the two men again.

“Yeah, sure, okay. I’ll be there in 10.” With that, Erik and his shadows head off, leaving Joey slack jawed and blinking dumbfounded. The only thing that brings her back to reality are Gen’s hands on each of her shoulders, her head slightly tilted towards Joeys.

“Earth to Joey!” She jokes. “What did Erik say?” Joey looks at Gen and sees Jared right behind her. Gen’s smile is laced with concern, but Jared is full out beaming. Looking down, she takes a deep breath.

“He said he really liked it. That they need to make some script changes. I’m supposed to meet him in 10 minutes.” Suddenly Joey snaps out of it and whips her to look at her friend. “This is normal right? They do this a lot?” She asks, looking for some sort of reassurance that she didn’t just screw up an entire day of filming with her improvising. Both Jared and Gen look at each other and then back at Joey.

“Sorry, Jo. Wish I could say it was. Most of the time these guys have a hard on for staying on schedule.” Jared admits, shrugging his shoulders.

“Fantastic, there goes that theory.” Joey laments.

“Hey, you know this is a good thing right? You literally just stopped an entire crew in their steps with that scene.” Jared’s eyes twinkle and he laughs. “Hell, you even left Jensen speechless.”

“I wouldn’t call it speechless, more like furious. Honestly though it’s the only emotion I’ve actually seen him display so for all I know that’s his version of happy.” Joey rolls her eyes. Gen gently bumps her shoulder against Joey’s.

“He isn’t as bad as he seems. It’s been a really bad year for him, he just needs time to warm up.” The three of them head out front of the cabin where they pile into another golf cart. Once they pull up to the trailer Joey hops out. Gen calls out to her.

“Come over to our place when you’re done here Joey. We’re having some of the cast over for dinner. You should come, it would be good for you to get to know them better” Joey looks back at the woman who has so quickly become her friend since she has been here. A wave of gratitude comes over her.

“Yeah, of course. Thanks Gen.” They both jump into Jared’s SUV that’s waiting for them and drive off towards the resort and Joey heads up the stairs into the trailer.

 

A couple hours later Joey is being dropped at cabin #19, still in shock from the day’s events. Her phone vibrates as a text from Gen comes through.

_“Dinner is in an hour. Get your butt over here!”_

Joey laughs and quickly texts her back. _“Yes Ma’am! I’m just getting cleaned up and I’ll be right over. Might take me a few minutes to walk over there.”_

_“Just get ready, I’m sending someone to grab you. Be ready in 15 minutes.”_

_“Pushy pushy! O.K. See you soon, lots to talk about.”_ She shoves her phone in her pocket and heads in to the cabin to shower and get changed.

It doesn’t take long to shower and change and throw some makeup on. Gen hadn’t said it was going to be anything fancy so she opts for comfort by throwing on a simple white v-neck tee shirt and skinny jeans. She takes a final look in the large bathroom mirror. It still felt like looking at a stranger, even months after having lost so much weight. It was the divorce, or rather the stress of coping with life after the divorce. 30 pounds had melted off faster then she had thought possible. Sure, the running had toned everything but it was the lack of appetite that had really changed her body. She is pulling her hair into her usual pony tail when she hears a car horn honk. Joey grabs her phone and walks out front, wondering who Gen sent to pick her up.

A shiny black Impala is waiting . The windows are down and country music is spilling out into the evening. She knows exactly who Gen sent.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little short but it felt like the right place to stop the chapter. I know this is a slow build but I'm hoping you will enjoy the journey!

A shiny black Impala is waiting . The windows are down and country music is spilling out into the evening. She knows exactly who Gen sent.

“Fuck you Gen. You are so dead.” Joey mumbles to herself before striding over to the car. She opens the passenger side door an slides in to the seat. When she turns her head to the driver to offer her thanks, her gaze is met by two very intense green eyes looking back at her. It wouldn’t have been so bad if they were friendly, but they were cold and the freckled face around them was stony. Joey freezes in his stare. God damn Jensen had to be the one she sends? It couldn’t have been someone who didn’t make her want to run away screaming? Hell, sending an escaped convict from a nearby prison would have been less intimidating.

He breaks the silence first as he pulls away from her cabin. “I was instructed to pick you up. Apparently, I’m the closest one to your cabin.” His voice holds no warmth and certainly no invitation for further conversation.

They drive in silence. Uncomfortable, Joey shifts in her seat. Thankfully the ride lasts then 5 minutes and soon they are parked out front of the cabin that Gen and Jared are calling home for the next few months. It’s the same size as Jensen’s but it not hidden by as much landscaping. The walk way to the front porch is lit up with little lanterns and an old tin watering can filled with flowers sits on the steps. 

“Leave it to Gen to make any place homey.” Jensen snorts, but his voice is different then before. There is a definite sense of tenderness. 

“Well, good to know he has a heart.” Joey notes silently before walking up the pathway, followed closely by Jensen. When they reach the door, she raises her hand to knock but before she can make contact with the door, Jensen reaches his right arm around her body and turns the door knob, pushing the door open. He squeezes past before Joey can even register what is happening, leaving her standing on the porch. 

“Such a gentleman Ackles.” The sarcasm dripping from her voice. 

Jensen is already settled into one of the plush arm chairs in the living room by the time Joey walks into the cabin. She recognizes Misha and Mark on the couch. 

“Hey Jo!” She smiles at the way Jared has already given her nickname a nickname. Having always hated her real name, she has been Joey since childhood, but only a select few people had ever called her Jo. He puts a hand on her back and guides her further inside. “Come on in, Gen’s in the kitchen with the girls.” 

In the kitchen, Gen is putting the final touches on the meal and beams when her friend enters the room flanked by her husband. Joey is surprised to see more familiar faces with Gen in the kitchen. Two of her favorite characters from the show have always been Jody Mills and Donna Hanscum and here they were, casually sipping glasses of wine right in front of her. Jared is still next to her. “Ladies, this is Joey. Joey, Kim and Briana.”

Both of the women move forward to shake Joey’s hand, smiling. 

“So, you’re the one that everyone is talking about! So nice to meet the famous Joey Porter.” Kim teases. 

Joey’s can feel the scarlet wash over her face. Wide eyed, she turns to Jared and hisses. “Are they all seriously talking about me?”

Jared scrambles. “Not in a bad way. You just impressed people today. I mean it’s not every day that Erik stops shooting like that. You should be……” Jared is floundering.

“Seriously, don’t stress Joey. This is a good thing. No one is saying anything but good stuff.” Gen interjects. 

Her husband’s shoulders relax, and he tosses a look of appreciation to his wife for saving him from his stammering. “I should probably make sure make sure the guys are all set.” He pauses for a second, shifting his eyes between Gen and Joey, before turning and heading out to the living room.

Joey puts her elbows on the counter and drops her head into her hands. “Jesus Christ. All I wanted to do was not make a fool of myself and now all of this.”

“Whoa, Joey, it’s really ok. It’s just a half day of shooting.” Confusion covers Gen’s face as she puts a hand on Joey’s shoulder. “You guys will get back on track tomorrow.”

“Yeah, about that.” Rising up from the counter, Joey chews her bottom lip. “That meeting, the one with Erik. It wasn’t just with Erik. The writers and a bunch of suits were there, some guy named McG or something. Apparently, they want to develop my character, turn her in to a major part. They want me to film full time and find someone else to take over my old job. They were talking about fight training schedules and re writes and….I don’t know, I started to glaze over after a while. They gave me until tomorrow morning to make my decision. Gen, they offered me a pretty good amount of money, I could easily keep my farm back home.” The conflict is written all over her face.

All three women are speechless, staring at Joey with varying levels of shock on their faces. Gen is the first to break the silence. “You have to say yes. This is like some fairy tale, meant to be shit. I watched you today, you’re really good. This could be amazing.” 

Before Joey can respond, Misha walks in to the kitchen. Sensing that he has just walked into a major conversation he stands awkwardly for a moment before speaking. “So, due to my charm and boyish good looks, I have been delegated to come in here and ask about dinner. We all know how Jared gets when he’s hungry.” 

Gen rolls her eyes and smiles. “That man and his food. Yes, everything is ready. Tell them to come on in here, we are doing this buffet style. I set the backyard up so we can all eat out there.”

Giving a goofy two thumbs up, Misha heads back out to round up the troops.

 

It’s not long before all of them are sitting in Adirondack chairs in the backyard enjoying Gen’s cooking and the early evening summer air. Joey had been introduced to Alex and Jim in the kitchen while they were filling up their plates and now she is seated next to Jim and Mark, chatting comfortably about all of their lives. Misha, Alex, and Briana are laughing at a story Jared is telling, something about a convention. Gen and Kim are engrossed in a conversation about Shep and Tom. Joey notices that Jensen is sitting quietly observing. One leg propped up on the knee of the other, holding a beer. He still wears the same stony expression but there is an emptiness in his eyes. It’s something she hasn’t noticed before and it makes her uncomfortable. She looks towards the other group and Misha is looking back at her, his face letting her know that he sees Jensen too. She drops her gaze and give a single shake of her head before returning her attention to Jim and Mark who are discussing political something or other. Joey excuses herself and picks up her plate, and heads towards the kitchen. She rinses her plate and is pouring another glass of wine when she hears someone walk into the room behind her.  
Thinking it’s probably Gen, “I figured you might need a little help cleaning up.” Joey says before spinning around, coming face to face with Jensen. “O, sorry, thought you were Gen.” she stammers. 

He shoulders past her and drops his plate into the sink with hers. He leans against the counter with his arms crossed, she walks over the kitchen island, putting some space between them. Finally breaking the awkward silence, he lifts his eyes to hers and speaks.

“Think you could possibly warn me when you want to play diva actress next time?” Jensen’s jaw tenses. “Would be nice to have a little heads up.”

With a snort Joey looks at him incredulously. “Seriously?” 

Both of them stand in silence for a moment. Joey, uncomfortable with the way Jensen is looking at her with hard eyes, speaks up. “Look, I’m sorry you feel like I was being a diva. That’s really not who I am. I spoke to Erik and he gave me the go ahead. I didn’t think I needed to pass it by you, too.” She props her elbows on the kitchen island and fiddles with her glass of wine. “You don’t have to be an ass about it though. I was just trying to help out, its not like it was my idea of a good time.”

Jensen clears his throat and stands up fully. “Yea, Okay. So, I’m gonna be heading out in a few. You still need a chauffeur or think you can manage.”

“God damn” Joey thinks. “What the hell is this man’s deal?” But before she can respond, Misha once again walks into the kitchen, breaking the tension.

“You know you’re not leaving yet, right?” He directs towards Jensen. “Pretty sure Gen will kill you if you leave before she serves dessert.” Dropping his dishes in the sink, he looks at Joey and winks with a sly smile. “I think we’re going to be celebrating something.”

Joey groans and drops her head into her hands. Jensen looks from Misha to Joey with confusion, and a large helping of annoyance. “Celebrating?”

Misha laughs and walks out of the kitchen, leaving two very silent people in his wake. Lifting her head, she rolls her eyes at the hard glare Jensen is giving her and prepares to follow Misha. 

“What are we celebrating?” He growls.

She faces him and puts on her most sarcastic smile. “Why, Your sunny disposition Jensen. What else?” Spinning on her heel, she exits the kitchen, leaving Jensen boring a hole into the back of her head. As soon as she rounds the corner, Joey stops for a moment trying to decide if she should go back and apologize. “Screw that, he’s a dick.” She murmurs and strides into the back yard. The chair next to Gen is empty so she settles into it.

“Where’d you disappear too?” Gen asks

“Oh, just a super fun run in with Ackles. It’s true what they say, God gives you one of two gifts. Good looks or personality. At least he’s pretty ‘cus that man is an ass.”

Gen bites her lower lip and cracks up. Her eyes looking above Joeys head. Joey’s stomach drops realizing what Gen is looking at, or rather who. A large hand holding a wine glass reaches over her shoulder.

“You forgot your wine.”

Joey can feel the blush rising up her neck and face and she slowly takes the glass from Jensen’s hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Id love any comments or words of wisdom.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took a little longer to post! I decided to change this chapter a bit after writing it so the rewrite took some time and a little planning! Hope you like it! Leave comments if there is anything you are really hoping to see happen :)

Joey can feel the blush rising up her neck and face and she slowly takes the glass from Jensen’s hand.

She doesn’t have to turn around to picture the look on his face and Gen isn’t the only one enjoying the events unfolding. The tension was palpable and most everyone had stopped their conversations to see what had Jensen’s entire body stiff as a board. Surprisingly Jensen just turns and finds an empty chair, settling into it sipping his beer. Joey takes a breath and her shoulders slump. 

“Shit.” She hisses at Gen. “I know he isn’t a fan of mine, but I’m just digging a deeper hole by the minute.”

Gen’s eyes are dancing as she holds back her amusement. “Come help me get dessert ready, okay?” 

Standing up and following Gen, Joey glances at Jensen trying to gauge the level of hatred brewing in his eyes. She is shocked to see him chatting with Jared comfortably, sipping his beer like nothing had happened. In fact, he looked less hostile then before their kitchen encounter. She can feel her own exasperation rising in her chest. 

“What the hell! I can not figure that guy out!” Joey practically shouts as soon as she and Gen are alone in the kitchen. 

“I think you need to understand what the last year has been like for him Joey. I didn’t want to say anything, it’s his story to share but I think you deserve to know.” Joey looks a her with confusion. “If you were a normal person and watched t.v. or read those stupid celebrity news stories you might already know.” Gen jokes

“You know I don’t have time for that junk. Besides, I have no desire to follow the lives of people I’ve never met.” She defends.

“That’s why I love you! You have never been some stammering fan that pretends to know us because of what you’ve read, but in this instance, it may have prepared you a bit for the storm that is Jensen Ackles.” Gen pauses and takes a deep breath as if the whole Jensen situation was weighing heavily on her. “Haven’t you wondered if he is married? Who J.J.’s mom is?”

“Well of course, but it’s really not my business. It’s not like he and I are buddies and planning to double date any time soon” Joey huffs.

“No,” Gen laughs. “but it will help you understand him. He was married for several years. Her name is Daneel. They met working on a movie together. They were great together, she was great. After Jared and I started dating the four of us would go out all the time. We were pretty close. Jensen was different then, happy, goofy. They had J.J. and that man was like a pile of mush for that little girl and Daneel. It was actually adorable. Jared would tease him relentlessly, but Jensen didn’t care, he was devoted to a fault.” Gen pauses for a moment, taking a cake out of the fridge. Joey takes the opportunity to interrupt.

“Where did that guy go! He sounds like someone I could relate to, someone maybe that I could be friends with!”

Putting the cake on the counter, Gen continues. “About two years ago something changed. Daneel changed. Jensen tried everything to fix it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person so desperate to make someone happy. Finally, it came out that she had fallen for someone else and she left. That man was broken Joey. The old Jensen just slipped away. At first, he was just sad, then it turned to anger. He watched everything he fought for just walk out the door, taking J.J. with her for half of the time. Jared and Misha are the only people he really talks to about anything, but he doesn’t really share much. I’m only telling you all of this because I want you to know this Jensen isn’t the Jensen we all love. I hoped he would heal and start to come back but I’m starting to doubt that’s a possibility anymore. He would have welcomed you into the fold with open arms before, been the first to congratulate you.” 

Joey can see the sadness in Gen’s eyes. Her heart aches for Jensen but it also aches for those that love him. She knows that pain all too well, still feels it sometimes at night. But damn it if she would treat people the way he does. Even at her worst she hadn’t been one to lash out. 

“So, what you’re saying is I should give him a break?”

“No, not really.” Gen laughs. “Honestly, I think it’s good that you stand up to him. He needs a little of that in his life. I guess I just wanted you to know that it’s not personal, that you shouldn’t think his coldness is about you.”

Joey is quiet for a moment, digesting what Gen had just revealed. She hadn’t realized how personally she had been taking Jensen’s hostility and knowing the story behind it actually did help. Pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger Joey takes a breath.

“I guess I was taking it personally. How’d you get all Dr. Phil?”

Gen shakes her head and grins. “Come on, we better get dessert out there before Jared sends Misha in here again.”

Rolling her eyes and smiling, Joey follows Gen out of the kitchen, grabbing a stack of paper plates on her way out. The two of them slice up and start handing cake out to everyone.  
Briana takes a bite and sinks into her chair. Sighing and closing her eyes “Uggg, god this is amazing. Please tell me we are celebrating something, anything, so I can justify this without guilt.”

“Well, I guess we might be celebrating something, right Jo?” Gen responds with a devilish grin.

“Aww look, you’re making her go all red again. Must be some kind of a record.” Jared gives Joey a gentle shove on the shoulder. “But seriously, have you made a decision?”

Joey looks at him slack jawed. “You know about my, uhh, decision? How do you know?”

“Yeh, Erik pulled me and Mark aside after wrapping and asked us if we could get all our scenes in before we have to leave for the week.” 

Joey chews her lip quietly for a second before looking up at Jared. “So, you think I should do it? You don’t think this is a huge mistake? Honestly?”

“Honestly? I think it’s going to be tight to get it all done this week but I really think it’s worth it. Jo, you gave production something they didn’t expect, something they love. You may not think you are an actress but this character is all you, and she rocks.”

“So, anyone going to fill the rest of us in?” Alex asks 

With a little nod of encouragement from Gen, Joey explains to the few members of the group that didn’t already know, about her meeting and her impending decision. Not surprisingly, everyone seemed to think it was a no brainer for Joey to go for it. 

“Sweet! If you say yes, then you’re the new ‘new guy’ and that means Misha will stop calling me kiddo?” Alex chimes in.

“Not on you’re life kiddo.” Misha taunts Alex before turning to Joey. “In all seriousness Joey, it will be great to have you.”

“Thanks Misha. I really appreciate the support, especially since I know how much extra work it would make for a few of you.”

Misha puts his hand on Joey’s shoulder. “Good grief Joey, it’s just TV production, not curing cancer. Nothing in this business is set in stone. We all know how to roll with the punches, so does the crew. None of us are afraid of hard work or long hours. We have done it before and we will do it again. So, don’t let that influence your decision. I watched you today, you have a natural talent for this. I don’t think anyone is making a mistake by offering you this opportunity.”

Joey gives Misha a grateful smile but can’t help but notice Jensen is the only one still sitting off to the side staring at his phone, showing not an ounce of interest. As much as she doesn’t want it to bother her, it does. It just makes her want to go somewhere so she can think straight, somewhere away from that man’s negativity. It was all just too overwhelming.

Trying to not to let her anxiety show, Joey stands and stretches. “Thanks for everything tonight guys. It was really great getting to know you all better, but I think I’m going to head out for the evening. I’ve got some thinking to do before tomorrow morning.” 

A handful of hugs later and Joey is out the front door and heading down the walk way. She is breathing in the warm summer air, looking up to the huge expanse of stars, when she hears footsteps behind her followed by a deep gravelly clearing of a throat.

“You want a ride? I’m headed that way. Unless you don’t want to ride with an ass.” Jensen snorts with the last part. 

“Yeah, about that, I’m sorry. I mean, it’s true, you are an ass, but I shouldn’t have said that. And thank you but I’m okay to walk, I’m not really ready to head home just yet.”

“Gotta say, that’s a heartfelt apology right there but at least you’re honest.” 

There is an awkward silence before Jensen continues. “Listen, I know you’re stressed about what you’re gonna do but I’m not really sure what the big deal is. You were offered a job that probably pays more then you were gonna make dealing with those horses. I’m not really seeing the problem.”

She glares at him for a moment, not really sure if he is really that heartless or just stupid. “Those horses” she spits out “are not just some job that pays the bills. I would think you would understand a little better. Can’t you relate to spending your entire life learning and mastering something? It becomes who you are, it defines you. When everything in your life goes to shit, it’s the only thing you can count on. It’s the one thing about yourself that you can always rely on. God Jensen, it’s not as simple as just making a career change. I’m deciding if I want to reinvent myself, pick my eggs up and put them in a new damn basket. I’m no actress, I have no idea who I am if I’m not the horse trainer.” 

Jensen is quiet for a moment. He actually looks like he is thinking over what Joey has revealed. Rubbing the back of his neck with his hand he looks at her with a slightly squinted glare. “But here’s the thing Joey, who said those two things are mutually exclusive? Why can’t you be both.” 

He shrugs before turning around and heading toward his car, leaving Joey staring after him in shock. She was just figuring out how to deal with Jensen the dick and now he goes and throws a whole new “Jensen” into the mix. The engine of the Impala roaring to life jolts her back into reality and she begins the walk toward home as Jensen pulls down the road. 

It’s a short walk from Gen and Jared’s cabin to cabin 19, short enough that Joey hasn’t really even had time enough to unwind from the night’s events when the cabin comes into view. She doesn’t even hesitate at the walk way to her new home but instead keeps walking, past Jensen’s cabin, and down the path to the barn. It isn’t until she opens the big wooden doors and enters the stable that she starts to really feel her mind clear. The smell of the horses, the sound of them quietly munching hay, makes her pull in a deep breath and sink down onto a hay bale. Elbows on her knees and head in her hands, Joey lets herself admit that Jensen is actually right. Why can’t she be a horse trainer and play this part. It’s not like she plans to give up her farm, her horses. It won’t negate her lifetime of commitment or experience. But God damn, she hates that Jensen is the one to point this all out. That last thought makes her laugh out loud. Leave it to her to let her stubbornness cloud her judgement. With a huge sigh of relief, Joey realizes she has made her decision. Standing up, she walks over to one of the horses. He is sticking his head out the door, watching her. Joey lays her forehead against the soft nose of the big grey beast.

“I won’t forget you guys, I promise. Apparently, I can be both a super awesome horse lady and unbelievably fantastic demon hunting badass actress.”

The gelding snorts and stomps a foot and Joey giggles. 

“Glad you approve.”


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took so long! I was having issues accessing my account but it is all fixed now!!

Joey arrives on set the next morning not sure what to expect. She had called Erik as soon as she had made her decision and of course she had called Gen but she wasn’t sure who else would already know that she had agreed to extend her role. Misha is the first one to greet her. 

“Hey Joey! I heard the good news!” He wraps his arm around her shoulder, leading her towards the rest of the group. Jared and Mark are both smiling. Jared raises his hand, inviting her to high five. Joey looks at him skeptically and hesitates. 

“Aw come on Jo, I’m excited!” Jared pleads with puppy dog eyes, shaking his raised hand.

She gives Jared a wary look and raises her hand to high five him. Jared pulls his hand back, slicking his hair back with it instead, laughing. Joey rolls her eyes but smiles. Gen had warned her that she was going to be fresh meat and that Jared would probably pounce on the chance to mess with her. 

“I know, I know, I’m the fresh meat. I accept my fate.” Joey chuckles, throwing her hands up in surrender.

The group continues to chat for a couple minutes before Jensen strolls in and everyone is sent off into wardrobe, hair, and makeup. Joey continues to look over the days pages while having her hair styled into her characters signature pony tail, not a far cry from Joey’s everyday look. By the look of it, they are in for a long day of shooting, factor into account that Jared is more than likely going to be pain in the ass all day, and Joey figured she wouldn’t be getting done before dinner. Erik had let her know that any break in shooting would be put to good use by having her work wit the stunt coordinators to bring her up to speed on her stunts and fighting skills. She downs the rest of her coffee just thinking about it.

 

Joey was spot on in assuming how the day would go, it was well after 8pm before they wrapped for the day, and Jared definitely was a pain in the ass. What she didn’t predict was Misha joining in. Between the two of them, Joey had spent more time laughing then she though possible. They both finally relented after Jensen’s ‘resting bitch face’ started to turn into ‘enraged serial killer face’. By the time she is dropped off at cabin 19 Joey is exhausted and sore. The fight training in between takes had literally kicked her ass. She yawns as she shuffles like a zombie up the steps of the cabin, ready for a shower and her bed. 

 

The next two nights end in a similar manner and by Friday night Joey is thankful for the weekend. They had wrapped by 6:30 so that both Jared and Mark could make their flights and Joey wasn’t scheduled for anything for a blissful 48 hours. But as tired and sore as she was, Joey knew she needed a little barn time to unwind. The air is just starting to cool and she takes in a deep breath as she strolls down the dirt path. She can feel her body relaxing with every step and about halfway to the barn she hears voices heading her way and she has mixed feelings when she realizes who it is. J.J. spots her first, her face lighting up as she runs to Joey. Jensen’s face doesn’t hold the same warmth. 

“Hey Chickadee.” Joey kneels down to J.J., feeling every muscle in her body scream in the process. “Whatcha doing out here?”

“Daddy took me to the playground. Are you going to see the horses? Can I come?” J.J. looks to her dad with the last part.

“Kiddo we have a movie night planned remember? I still need to make something for dinner and I’m sure Joey would like some time to herself.” Jensen tells J.J. with his hand on the top of her head. Her face falls.

“Honestly I don’t mind. I could take her to the barn and bring her home after. It would give you a chance to make some dinner. I wasn’t planning on spending more then 20 minutes with the horses so I won’t keep her too long.” Joey feels badly for undermining Jensen but stopping J.J.’s disappointment is worth the risk. Jensen clenches his jaw but he agrees and hugs his daughter before heading back to his cabin. J.J. and Joey start off in the opposite direction.

 

A short time later the two girls are walking up the porch steps of Jensen’s cabin. J.J. is excitedly telling Joey all about a tea party she had hosted where Daddy and Uncle Jensen had both attended. Joey couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of the two huge men sitting around a little table, in tiny chairs, sipping from miniature tea cups. It didn’t help that she also pictured them with floppy hats covered in flowers sitting on their heads. 

When Jensen swings open the cabin door Joey can’t stop the look of amusement on her face. Jensen glares at her in confusion but turns his attention to J.J.

“Hey little one. Have fun?” His gravelly voice just a little warmer then Joey is used to.

J.J. bounces into the house, tossing Joey a little goodbye wave and smile as she disappears around the corner. Joey looks at Jensen and gives a half smile before turning to head back down the path but before she can start down the porch stairs both of their cell phones go off. Joey pulls her phone out and reads a text from Erik.

Hey guys. Hate to do this to you but we need you both to shoot a last minute scene tm morning.   
I had Yvonne email you both the pages. Shouldn’t be a long day. There will be a car to pick you  
both up at 7am. 

“Damn it!” Jensen growls. 

Joey knows from chatting with J.J. that Jensen was supposed to spend the day with her tomorrow and J.J. was going to be extremely disappointed. 

“I’m sorry, I know you had plans for tomorrow. Maybe we can get done by noon?” Joey tries to sound hopeful. 

“Yeah, whatever. Just try to make sure you know your lines so I’m not stuck doing 30 takes.” 

Any little bit of sympathy she had for him fell away with his statement. As much as she wanted to spit venom back at him, it just wasn’t worth it. Joey narrows her eyes at him and shakes her head before quietly heading away from the cabin. She was a good 20 steps away before she finally heard the door slam behind her.


	7. Seven

“Good God, how can one person get under my skin so badly.” Joey grumbles as she makes quick work of the walk from Jensen’s cabin to her own. 

It’s bad enough she now has to work tomorrow, but with Jensen no less. Joey sends out a silent prayer that maybe, just maybe someone else got the same text that she and Jensen did. She knew Jared and Mark were out since they had flown out already. Possibly Misha or Alex? Even better, maybe one of the girls? She hasn’t really had much of a chance to work with Brianna or Kim or even Ruth. She gets excited thinking about having a buffer for the moodiness of Jensen. She is barely in the door and heading for a hot shower when her phone alerts her to a new email. She really wants to clean up before delving into the script for tomorrow but the temptation to skim it is too strong and she decides to at least take a peak. Letting her eyes scan the lines, her attention is drawn to a director’s note about halfway through the script;

‘Dean presses his forehead to Sasha’s. They lock eyes momentarily before she laces her fingers behind his neck and lifts her lips to his.’

“Shut. The. Hell. Up.” Joey lifts her eyes from the phone screen and she stares at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She can’t handle reading the rest until after a hot shower and a beer. Leaving the phone on the counter she turns the shower on.

A couple hours later Joey is curled up on her bed, hair wrapped in a towel, comfortable sweats and a tee shirt on, an empty beer bottle on the side table, and her cell phone laying on the bed next to her. She had read through the emailed script 5 times. She not only had to work tomorrow, with Jensen and only Jensen, but it was a romantic scene. A really romantic scene. It wouldn’t be so bad if that man wasn’t such a jackass. After reading the script for the second time, sure that it must be one of the famous Supernatural pranks, she had texted Erik. He has responded within a minute and assured her that it wasn’t and that she would be fine. They would walk her through it and everyone would be patient and understanding. Joey had snorted when she read his text. Patient and understanding were about as far from descriptions that fit Jensen Ackles as you could get. After the third time reading the script she was in full panic mode. She had texted Gen.

“I know you’re busy, but I need you to talk me off a ledge……”

 

“LOL! Guessing you got the scripts for tm too??”

 

“How do you know already??”

 

“Jensen and Jared were just talking about it. Don’t stress, Jensen’s a professional.  
He will make you feel comfortable. Don’t forget, he has done this a million times.   
The crew will be great too. They all get it. Deep breath. It will be ok.”

“I have no idea how to do this though! I can pretend to fight people, I can act like a   
sassy badass, but how do I act like I’m attracted to someone that hates me?”

“1. He doesn’t hate you. He is just angry at the world right now. 2. You don’t have to   
be attracted to Jensen Ackles. Sasha is attracted to Dean. Just keep reminding yourself   
of that. I have faith in you.”

“I know you’re right but I’m not sure that helps……”

“Jared says take a shot of tequila right before. It takes the edge off. LOL But seriously,  
you will be ok! Plane is getting ready to land so I have to go, but call me tomorrow if   
you need me! Good luck!”

“Thanks. Have a great weekend. Tell Jared I’m trying the tequila advice.”

 

Somewhere between the fourth and fifth time she had read the script Joey had resigned herself to the fact that she would be making enough of a fool of herself tomorrow and she was going to, at the very least, know her lines and be prepared to do her job. Now, with her beer finished, lines memorized, and brain buzzing, she sighed and rubbed her temples. She needed to find a way to see Jensen as Dean, to forget about the arrogant man who constantly made her feel like her presence was a personal insult to him. She decided there was no better way to bring Dean to life then a mini ‘Supernatural’ binge session. Three episodes later with a solid crush on Dean Winchester, Joey drifts off to sleep. 

7am sharp, with heavy eye lids, a pounding heart, and sweaty palms, Joey climbs into the back seat of the black SUV out front of her cabin. She lays her head back on the seat and takes a deep breath to calm her nerves but just as she is letting the breath out the door to the other passenger side opens and Dean slides in to the seat next to her. Jensen…..Jensen slides into the seat next to her. Well at least her mini binge session last night had done its job. Joey realizes she is staring at Jensen and turns to face the window and lays her head against the cool glass.

“Hey, I’m sorry about last night. I was out of line with that comment about knowing your lines. I was just pissed off about having to work today.”

Joey looks at Jensen with an absolute shock, not sure how to respond at first. It’s the first time she has really looked at his face with out being met with a cold hard glare. She catches a glimpse of the Jensen that Gen has told her about, the Jensen that peaks out when Joey sees him with J.J. 

“It’s fine, I get it. I know you were probably looking forward to a day off with J.J. today, not babysitting some incompetent actress, but I really appreciate it.” She pauses, still looking at Jensen’s face. “Hmmmph”

“What?” He asks, furrowing his brow.

“I just don’t get you Ackles. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I don’t get most people. It’s why I love horses so much, they are straight forward. But you really confuse the hell out of me.” 

Jensen just shrugs and sits back. 

“Not sure what to tell you.” 

He is silent the rest of the short drive.


	8. Eight

Gen had been right. Joey couldn’t have asked for Jensen to be any more professional. Surprisingly they got through the scene three times without much of an issue. Joey had been worried when Jensen hadn’t spoken to her the entire time they sat side by side in hair and makeup. Granted, it was one of their faster sessions, but the silence was thick and uncomfortable. Her heart was pounding and her skin clammy by the time she walked to set, and it took everything in her to resist turning around and walking out. Watching Jensen walk onto set settled her almost instantly. He was Dean. Yes, the wardrobe helped, but it was his eyes, his walk. She knew he was in character and somehow it made it all easier.

Now here they were, once again sitting silently, waiting for the reset so they can run the scene again. Joey rubs her temples trying to deal with the mental whiplash that she is getting from Jensen. When he is Dean he evokes a feeling of safety. When the character fades from Jensen’s personality it’s a whole other story. Dean’s eyes bore into her when he looks at her. Jensen’s eyes seem to look straight through Joey. That or he doesn’t even bother to look in her direction. Here she is, completely on edge, sitting next to a man she barely knows but has just made out with multiple times in front of several people, and she can’t even bring herself to talk to him. She turns her head to look at Jensen, who scrolling through his phone.

“What.” He growls without looking up.

Joey looks back at her hands and sighs. “Nothing. Just…”

Before Joey can finish her sentence, Erik comes up behind them, laying a hand on Joey’s shoulder.

“Hey guys, so we are almost ready to go again, and I know you both want to get out of here. It’s just missing something. Joey, you have made some really great choices for Sasha, so I want you to work your magic. The interaction between Dean and Sasha needs to be a little more organic, more on par for their personalities.”

He squeezes Joey’s shoulder reassuringly.

“Uh yeah sure. Sounds good.” She waivers.

Watching Erik walk back towards a couple of the camera guys, Joey sighs. Jensen snorts.

“This should be interesting.” He mutters.

Joey glares at him with piercing eyes.  
“Jesus, you really can’t help yourself can you? Do you even realize what an ass you are? I’m doing my best here. It’s not like I have experience with this. You think it’s easy trying to make out with someone who hates me? Kinda hard to get hot and heavy convincingly.”

Jensen opens his mouth to reply but Joey raises her open palm in front of her.

“No, just stop. I don’t want to hear any more. Let’s make a deal. You just keep your mouth shut and stay in character ok? Being attracted to Dean Winchester is a hell of a lot easier then trying to feel anything for a jerk like Jensen Ackles.” Joey spins on her heel and marches off the set, needing a moment to collect herself. She bites her lip to keep the tears from falling.

Once outside she slides to the ground with her back against a large oak tree. Knees to her chest she sighs, closing her eyes.

Her heart is pounding and her jaw is tight just thinking how infuriating that man is. He is so damn arrogant. What he needs is to be put in his damn place. He needs to not be the one in control all the time. Joey opens her eyes when the idea hits her. That’s exactly what she needs to do. Take control. He doesn’t get to make her feel like this. She wasn’t some little weak thing that couldn’t hold her own, she had walked through fire over the past year and come out on the other side. One stupid little angry actor wasn’t going to break her. She lets out a little laugh. She knows exactly how she needs to play this scene. It may not be what Erik wants but Ackles needs a little lesson.

She pulls her self to her feet, brushing any dirt and leaves from her jeans and walks back on set.

It’s not long before both Joey and Jensen are back in place, ready to start the scene. Thankfully Jensen seemed to have taken her advice and is already in character, playfully cocky attitude and all. Action is called and they start out like they have the last several times. Dean saunters toward Sasha.

“Tell me you don’t feel it. Just tell me and I’ll walk out of here and we can just keep hunting like this never happened.” He is right in front of he now. Sasha is silent. Dean places a hand softly on her cheek, thumb grazing her jaw line, and leans his head toward hers. Their foreheads connect and he looks into her eyes.

Sasha is supposed to stay quiet and then Dean is supposed to kiss her deeply, but Joey has other plans.

Sasha places her hand on Dean’s chest and pushes him hard. He stumbles backward in to a chair behind him, falling into it. Sasha stalks toward him, leaning down over him, straddling his legs. She grabs the collar of his tee shirt and slowly lowers her body on to his lap. She can feel Jensen stiffen under her, completely taken off guard, but just as she knew he would, he stays in character.

“You don’t get to kiss me Winchester. You’re a little too used to being the one in charge all the time but that doesn’t work for me _sweetheart_.” She says the last word with an edge.

Dean’s jaw is slack and his eyes wide. He fidgets a little underneath her but stays silent. Whether from shock or choice, she doesn’t know.

Sasha slowly leans her face toward Dean’s and just as her lips reach his she can feel him close his eyes and hold his breathe, waiting for the inevitable kiss but instead, Sasha takes his bottom lip in her teeth and pulls it gently and slowly until it slides from between her teeth. Dean’s breathe catches in his throat and his eyes pop open. She is staring at him through slightly lowered lids and lashes. They both stay like that for a couple moments before Sasha lunges in at him with a deep and hungry kiss. Dean’s hands wrap around her and grip her like his life depends on it. The kiss lasts for almost half a minute before Sasha pulls away abruptly. She smiles at the panting Dean and leans close to his ear whispering to him.

“See, it’s so much more fun when you just let someone else lead.”

Sasha lets go of Dean’s tee shirt and stands up, still staring at him with a look of pure seduction, turns around and walks out the cabin door.

“Cut” Erik whispers, clears his throat, and repeats it again louder with more force.

Joey walks back in the cabin, refusing to let her self even look Jensen’s way. She heads toward Erik.

“Sorry, I know that was totally off base but I needed to give it a try. I’m ready to reset and try it more on script again.”

Erik looks at her for a split second before his face is split by a huge grin. “Where the hell did you come from? I don’t even know what to do with you right now. That was fucking awesome! I mean seriously, where did that even come from?” He laughs before he turns to the crew. “I think that’s a wrap for today guys. I’ve got what I need. See everyone Monday.” He turns back to Joey. “And as for you, you might want to get ready because I’m pretty sure about every single guy here will be looking for a date after today.” He shakes his head laughing again and heads towards the door.

Joey blushes and looks around awkwardly. None of the crew will make eye contact but she can feel a certain set of eyes on her. With out having to turn around she knows exactly who is boring a hole in her from behind. She turns around, knowing she is going to have to deal him at some point. Mentally preparing herself for the fury that would inevitably fill his eyes, she makes eye contact. Surprisingly, fury is not what she sees. The psycho is smiling, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

Joey throws her hands up in the air. “What the hell Ackles! You are not normal!” She shouts, full of exasperation, turning away and heading to the door. She hears him burst out laughing as she reaches the door. Not just a little laugh, but a full on fit of laughter, the kind that brings tears to your eyes and comes from deep inside. She can still hear it even after slamming the door behind her.

Hours later Joey is still not sure what to make of Jensen’s reaction. She had left the set and gotten back to her cabin only to have the overwhelming urge to burn off her nervous energy. She knew she needed a good hard run. She hadn’t planned on running for so long though, or so far. It was an hour and a half before the vibrating energy inside of her quieted. She finally found herself at the sandy edge of the lake on the west side of the resort and sat down to rest. Panting, her strawberry blonde hair damp with sweat, and heart pounding, she lays back in the sand. The sound of the lake gently lapping at the shore is calming and almost mesmerizing. She breathes in the early evening air, letting herself zone out. Sometime between the second and the third mile running she had come to a conclusion, she was proud of herself. That wasn’t something she had felt in a long time. The constant struggle of keeping her marriage alive, the inevitable failure of it, the loss of her business, it had taken its toll. She wasn’t exactly sure when it had happened, but she had begun to feel like a failure. She has been on auto pilot for too long, not really fighting for anything anymore, dulled to it all. Smiling, Joey looked at the slowly darkening blue sky above her, completely in awe of the fact that a little summer side job, taken out of desperation, had turned into THIS. She was a god damned actress, and honestly, she felt pretty good at it. The absurdity of it all made her laugh out loud.

“What’s so funny?”

Joey sits up so quickly it makes her dizzy, recognizing the voice immediately.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” Running his hand through his hair, Jensen walks towards her.

Joey’s eyes narrow. “What are you doing here?”

“I needed to talk to you, so I went to your cabin to find you and when you didn’t answer I went looking for you. Laurie said she had seen you running out towards this way so I just kind of kept walking around ‘till I found you.” Jensen shrugged as he leaned a shoulder against a tree.

“You could have just called or texted.” Joey hold up her cell, shaking it.

He walks over closer and sits on the sand across from her, legs crossed at the ankle in front of him and leaning back onto his elbows. “No, I needed to talk to you face to face.” He responds with staring down at the sand, letting it slip between his fingers. “I owe you an apology. I know today was hard for you. I remember when I first started out and if someone had behaved the way I did today I don’t know if I would have been able to pull out the performance you did. You deserved more then that, I should have been more supportive.”

Stunned, Joey isn’t sure how to react. With out really thinking she blurts out the first thing that comes to her mind. “Why do you hate me so much? I mean, did I do something?”

Jensen looks at her with intense eyes before letting out a breath with a nervous chuckle. “I should have known you wouldn’t make this easy on me.” Pausing he rubs his eyes with one of his hands and Joey can tell he is really trying to find the right words. “I don’t hate you. I just didn’t want to know you. Does that make sense?”

“No.”

“Yeah I didn’t think so. Listen, its nothing against you, I swear. It’s been a tough year, hell, it’s been a tough couple years.” He looks out over the lake. Joey can see the sadness in his eyes, written across his whole face.

“Yeah, Gen said you and your wife split up. Sorry about that. Believe me, I get it more than you think.”

With a furrowed brow, Jensen looks back to Joey, his face full of curiosity.

“My husband fell out of love with me.” Joeys voice is full of venom and she makes quotation signs with her fingers as she says ‘fell out of love’.

“humph” Jensen grunts. “I guess that’s what Gen meant when she said I was going to feel like a huge dick when I finally got to know you. I’ve been treating you like shit and you  
have just been taking it, even though you have plenty of your own baggage.”

He is silent for a moment. “Can we start fresh?”

Joey smiles. “Sure.”

Standing up and walking over to her, he looks her in the eyes and reaches his hand out towards her for a hand shake. “Hi, I’m Jensen. I’m a jerk most of the time, I have mood swings, I will probably be a terrible friend, and a worse costar, but I promise to try a hell of a lot harder to be better.”

Rolling her eyes and smiling wider, Joey shakes her head in amusement. “Hi Jensen, I’m Joey. Apparently I’m a diva actress that likes to go off script to piss off my coworkers, I usually smell strongly like hay, and I’m prone to surprise overtly sexual ad libbing. Nice to meet you.” She reaches her hand out to shake Jensen’s much larger and callused one.

Instead of the hand shake Joey expects, Jensen pulls her up by her hand, clasping hers tightly. Before Joey knows what is happening, Jensen picks her up. Suddenly it dawns on her that he is walking towards the water. She starts to thrash.

“You might want to toss your phone to shore.” He warns

“Don’t you dare Ackles.” She warns but she follows his suggestion and prays that the screen doesn’t crack as it rolls across the sand.

He just laughs loudly and throws her unceremoniously into the cool water. She lands with a splash and as the water is only a few feet deep, stands up, water dripping from her soaking clothes and hair.

“You ass!” She tries to scold him, but she can’t hold back her own laughter.


End file.
